Tag: Arun Jaitley

GST Constitutional Amendment Bill gets Lok Sabha nod after amendments

NEW DELHI: The long-awaited Goods and Services Tax Bill (GST), which has been riddled by several controversies which began in the time of the UPA government, has finally been passed with amendments worked out to pacify a vociferous opposition which held the majority in the Rajya Sabha.

Although the Bill had been passed earlier in the Lok Sabha, an adamant Congress insisted on some changes which were worked out after talking to all states and the opposition parties.

Thereafter, the amended bill had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha and passed last week. However, in view of the amendments, the amended Bill had to go through the entire rigmarole of a discussion in the Lok Sabha before it was passed unanimously.

As the GST Bill is in the form of a Constitution Amendment, the rules required that it had to be passed by two-thirds of the members present and voting.

The Amendment Bill will now go for Presidential assent to Pranab Mukherjee, but can become law only after it is ratified by at least fifteen state governments. The government hopes to get the approval within 30 days as it has set a deadline of 1 April 2017 for implementation of GST. Several states will have to call for special sessions to clear GST in the next 30 days.

The Bill, which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley describes as a “one nation one tax” bill, was described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a major step “that will deliver us from tax terrorism.” He said “GST means a Great Step Taken by India, a Great Step of Transformation, Great Step towards Transparency.”

Jaitley said India’s biggest tax reform will see the centre and states “pooling their sovereignty to reap the many benefits that will ultimately lead to India’s progress”. He claimed that “Tax evasion will lessen, there will be no tax on tax or a cascade of taxes and ease of doing business will improve.”

The Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority, had passed the bill unanimously last week, with 203 members supporting and none against.

Interestingly, the Congress reminded the government today that it had got the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha last year by the sheer dint of its numerical strength and not consensus.

A GST council will be formed after that with states and the centre as members. This council will recommend rates and other modalities for GST, which will replace a raft of different state and local taxes with a single unified value added tax system turning India into world’s biggest single market.

Parliament will need to clear two more GST-related bills and each state will have to pass its own law. The government will push to get this done in the winter session of Parliament to meet the deadline.

FICCI President Harvardhan Neotia said: “The approval of the Constitutional Amendment Bill marks crossing of another milestone in the journey towards introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in the country. The industry eagerly looks forward to the implementation of this uniform and simplified tax regime. It is expected that GST will lead to easy tax compliance and improve India’s competitiveness in the global arena. Implementation of GST will be a big incentive for bringing new investments into India and eventually will foster the growth of the Indian economy. FICCI would be privileged to work with and support the Central and State Governments in enabling a timely and hassle-free roll out of GST in India”

August 8, 2016
GST: How concerned should the advertising world be?

MUMBAI: The Finance Act of India 1994 (defines ‘advertising’ as the sale of space or time services, and any such facility offered by an advertising agency or person is considered a taxable service. Why the need to put such a dry perspective to an otherwise vibrant and creative business?

The answer is closely related the top trending topic among both netizens and citizens : Goods and Services Tax AKA GST.

This very definition highlights that the advertising fraternity, much like any service sector industry functions in compliance with ‘Service Tax’ that is levied by the central government, whether it is on the advertiser, the seller or the agency facilitating. Therefore any major rehaul of the service tax system makes an impact on the sector — be it good or bad.

So far industry observers and stakeholders have identified two key areas where GST has direct or indirect implication on the advertising industry of India — first is the incidence of tax or tax burden levied on the service sector, and secondly, cost of adapting new processes to deal with new tax regime.

“In compliance with the general commentary on the issue, industry is predicting that the tax on services is likely to go up due to GST. Clearly, from our perspective, that will not be a welcome piece of news. Especially at a time when India is looking to speed up the process of economic growth, in which this industry has a very vital role to play. It would be in the country’s interest, our industry’s interest and that of our many clients’ that this activity is incentive-ised rather than the other way round,” the newly elected AAAI president and Publicis south Asia CEO Nakul Chopra observes.

“We hope that the government in its wisdom, will hopefully keep the taxes at the current level or minimise any hikes,” Chopra adds.

Elaborating on his second point of concern, Chopra says: ”The government has been working for some time on the IT backbone which is required to handle the immense change in the process in transitioning from Service Tax era to GST. This can also have a lot of implications for our industry and our members. Manufacturing industry, to which excise and sales tax, are already on similar processes that is projected to implement GST. It won’t be a large shift for them. Whereas service tax is administered in a completely different way and has been a central levy. Hence, for the advertising industry it is a totally different story.“

Currently it is being taxed at 15 per cent after progressively going up over the years.

When it comes to the advertiser – media owner equation, barring radio and television media, most other print and digital forms of advertising enjoyed tax exemption under special provisions from the government, until finance minister Arun Jaitley removed digital advertisement from ‘Negative list of Services,’ in Budget 2014, and brought digital ads under the purview of service tax. This, observers, believe has already made the ecosystem more challenging for digital media to compete with the rest, being the late entrant in it. Although, it is true that analysts have also projected that GST will facilitate a larger digital penetration in the country as it would ease up the logistics in the tech industry.

Echoing Chopra’s concern, Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin opines: “As of now the advice from noted consultants seems to be that GST will actually make taxation much more complicated, particularly for advertising agencies, who operate in multiple states because there will be a Central GST and State GST, which will increase the complexity contrary to the government’s intent.”

Bhasin hopes the government will be able to focus on this area and address this issue urgently so that the bill achieves its intent of simplification and ease of business, even for the service industry.

Much of which will depend on the exact rate that is yet to be decided. Till now the discussions were mostly on whether the amendment will be made in the first place, is what most industry stalwarts had to say. But now there will be a more focused debate on the taxation rate and the method of administration.

The concerns over the bill haven’t completely overshadowed the promise of an economic growth that the new tax regime is expected to bring with itself. Bhasin feels that GST willl be brilliant for business in general, once it settles down. “Some industries will gain significantly, not just by the adjustment of rates but by the simplification of the process,” he says.

“If GST has a lot of positive impact on our clients, that eventually would benefit us as well. The onus is upon us as an industry body to address the concerns so that the advertising industry can make the most of the positives that come with GST,” Chopra states.

Most industry observers believe that some sectors that were heavily taxed like the automobile category will now see government levies being more than halved. That will lead to a reduction in costs for the end consumer, which is likely to lead to a surge in sales, that will then lead to more spends on advertising and marketing, and that could then lead to a spurt in business for the advertising industry – both in terms of creative and media planning and buying.

“Now the industry can look at it as a glass half empty or half-full,” says an advertising veteran. “The bullet had to be bit sometime, the best time is now. Yes, the administration and paper work of what appears to be a complicated exercise involving Central GST, State GST and an IGST,, but in the long run we will learn to live with it. So I guess we will have to go with both the positive and negative impacts and reap the benefits when everything settles down.”

Bhasin is willing to look at GST beyond its short-term impact on the sector. “There may be some interim inflationary effect because of the potential increase in rate from 15 per cent service tax to say 18 per cent of GST but I think since the set off is going to be available, other benefits will far outweigh this disadvantages,” he adds on an optimistic note.

August 5, 2016
GST: How concerned should the advertising world be?

MUMBAI: The Finance Act of India 1994 (defines ‘advertising’ as the sale of space or time services, and any such facility offered by an advertising agency or person is considered a taxable service. Why the need to put such a dry perspective to an otherwise vibrant and creative business?

The answer is closely related the top trending topic among both netizens and citizens : Goods and Services Tax AKA GST.

This very definition highlights that the advertising fraternity, much like any service sector industry functions in compliance with ‘Service Tax’ that is levied by the central government, whether it is on the advertiser, the seller or the agency facilitating. Therefore any major rehaul of the service tax system makes an impact on the sector — be it good or bad.

So far industry observers and stakeholders have identified two key areas where GST has direct or indirect implication on the advertising industry of India — first is the incidence of tax or tax burden levied on the service sector, and secondly, cost of adapting new processes to deal with new tax regime.

“In compliance with the general commentary on the issue, industry is predicting that the tax on services is likely to go up due to GST. Clearly, from our perspective, that will not be a welcome piece of news. Especially at a time when India is looking to speed up the process of economic growth, in which this industry has a very vital role to play. It would be in the country’s interest, our industry’s interest and that of our many clients’ that this activity is incentive-ised rather than the other way round,” the newly elected AAAI president and Publicis south Asia CEO Nakul Chopra observes.

“We hope that the government in its wisdom, will hopefully keep the taxes at the current level or minimise any hikes,” Chopra adds.

Elaborating on his second point of concern, Chopra says: ”The government has been working for some time on the IT backbone which is required to handle the immense change in the process in transitioning from Service Tax era to GST. This can also have a lot of implications for our industry and our members. Manufacturing industry, to which excise and sales tax, are already on similar processes that is projected to implement GST. It won’t be a large shift for them. Whereas service tax is administered in a completely different way and has been a central levy. Hence, for the advertising industry it is a totally different story.“

Currently it is being taxed at 15 per cent after progressively going up over the years.

When it comes to the advertiser – media owner equation, barring radio and television media, most other print and digital forms of advertising enjoyed tax exemption under special provisions from the government, until finance minister Arun Jaitley removed digital advertisement from ‘Negative list of Services,’ in Budget 2014, and brought digital ads under the purview of service tax. This, observers, believe has already made the ecosystem more challenging for digital media to compete with the rest, being the late entrant in it. Although, it is true that analysts have also projected that GST will facilitate a larger digital penetration in the country as it would ease up the logistics in the tech industry.

Echoing Chopra’s concern, Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin opines: “As of now the advice from noted consultants seems to be that GST will actually make taxation much more complicated, particularly for advertising agencies, who operate in multiple states because there will be a Central GST and State GST, which will increase the complexity contrary to the government’s intent.”

Bhasin hopes the government will be able to focus on this area and address this issue urgently so that the bill achieves its intent of simplification and ease of business, even for the service industry.

Much of which will depend on the exact rate that is yet to be decided. Till now the discussions were mostly on whether the amendment will be made in the first place, is what most industry stalwarts had to say. But now there will be a more focused debate on the taxation rate and the method of administration.

The concerns over the bill haven’t completely overshadowed the promise of an economic growth that the new tax regime is expected to bring with itself. Bhasin feels that GST willl be brilliant for business in general, once it settles down. “Some industries will gain significantly, not just by the adjustment of rates but by the simplification of the process,” he says.

“If GST has a lot of positive impact on our clients, that eventually would benefit us as well. The onus is upon us as an industry body to address the concerns so that the advertising industry can make the most of the positives that come with GST,” Chopra states.

Most industry observers believe that some sectors that were heavily taxed like the automobile category will now see government levies being more than halved. That will lead to a reduction in costs for the end consumer, which is likely to lead to a surge in sales, that will then lead to more spends on advertising and marketing, and that could then lead to a spurt in business for the advertising industry – both in terms of creative and media planning and buying.

“Now the industry can look at it as a glass half empty or half-full,” says an advertising veteran. “The bullet had to be bit sometime, the best time is now. Yes, the administration and paper work of what appears to be a complicated exercise involving Central GST, State GST and an IGST,, but in the long run we will learn to live with it. So I guess we will have to go with both the positive and negative impacts and reap the benefits when everything settles down.”

Bhasin is willing to look at GST beyond its short-term impact on the sector. “There may be some interim inflationary effect because of the potential increase in rate from 15 per cent service tax to say 18 per cent of GST but I think since the set off is going to be available, other benefits will far outweigh this disadvantages,” he adds on an optimistic note.

August 5, 2016
Govt examining proposal to relax FDI norms in Print Media

NEW DELHI: After a recent slew of relaxations relating to foreign investment norms, the PM Narendra Modi-led government is said to be considering a proposal to liberalise investment levels in print media.

Quoting unnamed Finance Ministry officials, Bloomberg reported that the ministry is of the view that foreign investment norms in India’s print media could be raised from the present 26 per cent to 49 per cent, bringing it at par with norms for TV news segment.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Commerce Ministry will take a final call on the matter, the Bloomberg report quoted the government officials as saying.

Though, foreign investment in India’s print media sector is limited, but from time to time global giants like News Corp, having widespread interest in media, have evinced interest in investing here but stopped short because of restrictive policies and an inherent opposition from big Indian media groups.

In June 2016, the government had liberalised foreign investment norms in many sectors including airlines, retail, defence and TV broadcast carriage services like DTH, HITS, teleports, etc.

Recently, a delegation of US-India Business Council (USIBC), which included some broadcast companies, had petitioned the Commerce Ministry to relax foreign investment levels in electronic news media that stands at 49 per cent at present, but just shy of giving majority controlling stake to any foreign entity.

Interestingly, in January 2015, the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and present Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had opined that restrictions on foreign investment limit in print media need to be debated afresh.

Delivering the inaugural JS Verma memorial lecture, organised by News Broadcasters’ Association (NBA), Jaitley had said the practicality of FDI norms in print media should be examined anew in a spreading digital age when such limits are becoming irrelevant as news products are increasingly being made available on the Internet.

Finance Minister Jaitley’s forward-looking views on foreign investment norms in India’s print sector — and media in general — could be viewed at

and

Are such proposals under study a precursor to relaxations for TV news channels too?

ALSO READ
Stakeholders welcome easing of FDI norms for broadcasting; want DAS to move faster

July 8, 2016
Govt examining proposal to relax FDI norms in Print Media

NEW DELHI: After a recent slew of relaxations relating to foreign investment norms, the PM Narendra Modi-led government is said to be considering a proposal to liberalise investment levels in print media.

Quoting unnamed Finance Ministry officials, Bloomberg reported that the ministry is of the view that foreign investment norms in India’s print media could be raised from the present 26 per cent to 49 per cent, bringing it at par with norms for TV news segment.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Commerce Ministry will take a final call on the matter, the Bloomberg report quoted the government officials as saying.

Though, foreign investment in India’s print media sector is limited, but from time to time global giants like News Corp, having widespread interest in media, have evinced interest in investing here but stopped short because of restrictive policies and an inherent opposition from big Indian media groups.

In June 2016, the government had liberalised foreign investment norms in many sectors including airlines, retail, defence and TV broadcast carriage services like DTH, HITS, teleports, etc.

Recently, a delegation of US-India Business Council (USIBC), which included some broadcast companies, had petitioned the Commerce Ministry to relax foreign investment levels in electronic news media that stands at 49 per cent at present, but just shy of giving majority controlling stake to any foreign entity.

Interestingly, in January 2015, the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and present Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had opined that restrictions on foreign investment limit in print media need to be debated afresh.

Delivering the inaugural JS Verma memorial lecture, organised by News Broadcasters’ Association (NBA), Jaitley had said the practicality of FDI norms in print media should be examined anew in a spreading digital age when such limits are becoming irrelevant as news products are increasingly being made available on the Internet.

Finance Minister Jaitley’s forward-looking views on foreign investment norms in India’s print sector — and media in general — could be viewed at

and

Are such proposals under study a precursor to relaxations for TV news channels too?

ALSO READ
Stakeholders welcome easing of FDI norms for broadcasting; want DAS to move faster

July 8, 2016
Ensure flow of undiluted and unadulterated information to the people: Naidu

NEW DELHI: ,Venkaiah Naidu who has assumed additional charge of Information and Broadcasting held until now by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has said communication processes are critical for empowering people with information that would enable them to fulfill their aspirations.

He said the government’s mission would be to enable public communication for the development of the country and the community. Naidu told newspersons after taking charge yesterday that he would be guided by the principle of ‘Communication for Development of the Community and the Country” and the basic principles of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform”.

The government was a “reservoir of Information” relating to various aspects of a common man’s life. It was important to ensure proper flow of such information -“undiluted and unadulterated” – for broadening common man’s understanding of key policy initiatives of the government. This would facilitate the task of information empowerment, thereby creating an enabling environment for key stakeholders.

The minister said it was important to position various media units as credible brands for effectively serving the information needs of the people. He referred to the process of change ushered in by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which touched upon the attitudes of key stakeholders thereby reorienting our approach and understanding towards the concept of development. In order to achieve this goal, it was important to mainstream effective communication as an input to realize this change.

Jaitley, minister of State for I and B Rajyavardhan Rathore, secretary Ajay Mittal, Director-General (Media and Communication) in Press Information Bureau Frank Noronha and other senior officers of the ministry were present.

Naidu who already holds the urban development, housing and poverty alleviation ministry, but was divested of the parliamentary affairs portfolio in the latest reshuffle.

July 7, 2016
Ensure flow of undiluted and unadulterated information to the people: Naidu

NEW DELHI: ,Venkaiah Naidu who has assumed additional charge of Information and Broadcasting held until now by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has said communication processes are critical for empowering people with information that would enable them to fulfill their aspirations.

He said the government’s mission would be to enable public communication for the development of the country and the community. Naidu told newspersons after taking charge yesterday that he would be guided by the principle of ‘Communication for Development of the Community and the Country” and the basic principles of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform”.

The government was a “reservoir of Information” relating to various aspects of a common man’s life. It was important to ensure proper flow of such information -“undiluted and unadulterated” – for broadening common man’s understanding of key policy initiatives of the government. This would facilitate the task of information empowerment, thereby creating an enabling environment for key stakeholders.

The minister said it was important to position various media units as credible brands for effectively serving the information needs of the people. He referred to the process of change ushered in by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which touched upon the attitudes of key stakeholders thereby reorienting our approach and understanding towards the concept of development. In order to achieve this goal, it was important to mainstream effective communication as an input to realize this change.

Jaitley, minister of State for I and B Rajyavardhan Rathore, secretary Ajay Mittal, Director-General (Media and Communication) in Press Information Bureau Frank Noronha and other senior officers of the ministry were present.

Naidu who already holds the urban development, housing and poverty alleviation ministry, but was divested of the parliamentary affairs portfolio in the latest reshuffle.

July 7, 2016
Venkaiah Naidu gets additional charge of MIB; Manoj Sinha bags Communications portfolio

NEW DELHI: M. Venkaiah Naidu is the new boss for India’s media and entertainment sector at Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) as the senior minister replacing Arun Jaitley who continues to be country’s finance minister.

Similarly, there’s a new Communications boss at the Capital’s Sanchar Bhawan that houses one part of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MoCIT). Manoj Sinha will hold independent charge of Communications portfolio in the bifurcated MoCIT.

Earlier MoCIT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad retains control over IT & Electronics departments in MoCIT, while being given additional charge of Ministry of Law.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi affected a reshuffle of his Cabinet on July 5, 2016, bringing in new people as senior and junior ministers and re-jigging portfolios of some existing ministers. With the induction of the newcomers, the council of ministers has been expanded to 78 members.

Both Naidu and Sharma, at the helm of crucial ministries, have additional responsibilities too.

While Naidu also holds charge at Ministry of Urban Development Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Sharma too is a junior minister at Ministry of Railways.

Naidu will be accompanied at MIB by Olympics medallist-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Singh RathoreRajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who continues as the junior minister.

It remains to be seen how quickly the new ministers grasp complex issues such as digitisation, broadcast licences, content regulations, Net Neutrality, spectrum auctioning, while keeping pace with newer technologies being embraced by India’s media & entertainment and communications sectors.

Political observers of India’s complicated polity were divided in their opinion on whether the Cabinet reshuffle reflected talents been rewarded or people given ministerial berths with an eye on some up and coming State-level elections that are crucial for the nationalist BJP, which leads the government in New Delhi.

July 6, 2016
Venkaiah Naidu gets additional charge of MIB; Manoj Sinha bags Communications portfolio

NEW DELHI: M. Venkaiah Naidu is the new boss for India’s media and entertainment sector at Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) as the senior minister replacing Arun Jaitley who continues to be country’s finance minister.

Similarly, there’s a new Communications boss at the Capital’s Sanchar Bhawan that houses one part of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MoCIT). Manoj Sinha will hold independent charge of Communications portfolio in the bifurcated MoCIT.

Earlier MoCIT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad retains control over IT & Electronics departments in MoCIT, while being given additional charge of Ministry of Law.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi affected a reshuffle of his Cabinet on July 5, 2016, bringing in new people as senior and junior ministers and re-jigging portfolios of some existing ministers. With the induction of the newcomers, the council of ministers has been expanded to 78 members.

Both Naidu and Sharma, at the helm of crucial ministries, have additional responsibilities too.

While Naidu also holds charge at Ministry of Urban Development Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Sharma too is a junior minister at Ministry of Railways.

Naidu will be accompanied at MIB by Olympics medallist-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Singh RathoreRajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who continues as the junior minister.

It remains to be seen how quickly the new ministers grasp complex issues such as digitisation, broadcast licences, content regulations, Net Neutrality, spectrum auctioning, while keeping pace with newer technologies being embraced by India’s media & entertainment and communications sectors.

Political observers of India’s complicated polity were divided in their opinion on whether the Cabinet reshuffle reflected talents been rewarded or people given ministerial berths with an eye on some up and coming State-level elections that are crucial for the nationalist BJP, which leads the government in New Delhi.

July 6, 2016
Separate Broadcasting Policy, use last mile operator for broadband spread: TDSAT seminar

NEW DELHI: There should be a separate Broadcasting Policy analogous to the National Telecom Policy, and the existing laws and regulations should be enforced more stringently before drafting new ones.

This was one of the recommendations on regulatory issues in broadcasting and distribution sector at a seminar by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) held early this year.

The last mile cable network should be leveraged to provide broadband services, according to the recommendations placed on the website of TDSAT yesterday.

A general consensus also said the government needs to ensure that the amendments in existing regulations do not lead to confusion and ambiguity with regard to the original objectives of the legislations.

A more effective consultation process should be designed so that the stakeholders do not need to resort to the adjudicatory system, and there should be a more pro-active approach on the implementation of recommendations of the policy makers, the recommendations relating to broadcasting said.

The seminar on the ART (Adjudication, Regulation, Telecommunication) of Convergence on 6 and 7 February 2016 was attended by government, policy makers, adjudicatory body, and service providers to deliberate suggestions to prepare for challenges that arise with a converging digital environment.

The seminar was inaugurated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley, Supreme Court’s Justice J. Chelameswar presided over the function, and Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was the guest of honour.

Jaitley stressed the need for an adjudicatory mechanism for telecommunications and broadcasting which is agile and responsive to deal with emerging challenges.

The seminar was held with the support of Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Department of Telecommunications and Information Technology (DeitY), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Justices from the Supreme Court and High Court, and representatives of the industry. Ernst and Young was the knowledge partner for the seminar.

Regulatory and Licensing Regime in a converged environment

The conclusion was the need to frame a simplified, resilient and comprehensive convergence law and regulation encompassing all activities and sections of the industry, which are currently governed by myriad laws and regulations.

Separate mechanisms are needed for content and carriage regulation, with independent bodies for each of them. There needs to be converged licensing regime for telecommunications and broadcasting.

It was also stated that there needs to be a clear and well-defined separation of regulatory and adjudicatory powers, with the adjudicatory powers vested in an independent authority. Strategic spectrum should be under the control of the government, while the commercial spectrum should be under the control of the regulator.

The governance mechanism should be digitized and the processes should be made simpler to use. The existing laws should be amended keeping in mind their compatibility with other regulations and processes. Legislations should be made technology agnostic to provide a level playing field for all the stakeholders.

Adjudicatory mechanism — issues and way forward

It was stated that the law needs to be amended to bring more clarity regarding jurisdictional powers of TDSAT mandated in the TRAI Act apropos writ jurisdiction of the High Courts.

A separate mediation centre is required for resolving minor cases, both pre-trial as well as post-trial, which do not require the specialized expertise of the judges of the Supreme Court.

The original character of the TDSAT needs to be restored; in addition whether certain types of disputes should be entrusted to TRAI for resolution in order to improve the efficacy of the overall adjudicatory mechanism.

There should be a fully integrated electronic tribunal and innovative technologies should be used to deal with cases rapidly and efficiently, the recommendations said.

Training should be provided to all the stakeholders in the sector to eliminate the digital divide. Regulations need to be updated in accordance with the changing technology.

Content distribution in next generation networks

There should be clear, defined and uniform regulations for broadband, net neutrality, advertising, patents, and competition and pricing matters.

There was unanimity that net neutrality should be ensured to safeguard the interest of all stakeholders in the internet ecosystem.

A suitable patents and copyright system should be developed for India keeping in mind the specific concerns of the domestic industry.

It was felt that the industry should not be over-regulated as this would dis-incentivize stakeholders and hamper the interests of both the content creators and the consumers.

The behaviour of the stakeholders in the industry should be regulated instead of the economics of the industry, since regulation of the latter destroys business models while the former adds to both the consumers’ and the industry’s welfare.

“I-way of the Future”

It was felt that the challenge of slow implementation should be overcome through enhanced co-ordination among the stakeholders and the policy makers.

A broadband highway needs to be built that ensures accessibility of high speed internet for everyone.

Cyber security and privacy issues that arise due to the cross sector convergence and have standardized legislations for dealing with it needs to be addressed.

A pro-active approach needs to be followed in policy making to speed up the creation and adoption of the next generation highway infrastructure.

There should be a conducive business environment through policies that incentivize entrepreneurs and private participation. The expertise of the private sector should be leveraged. Start-ups needs to be encouraged to develop their capabilities and help build a compact, connected and coordinated network of smart cities.

June 30, 2016